Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes — Victorian Foot Patrol With a Stubborn Donkey

Who takes a stubborn donkey through the French mountains and writes about it like it's a military campaign? Robert Louis Stevenson, apparently. And honestly? I respect the hell out of it.

I picked this one up between client meetings - four hours of drive time through Texas hill country seemed like the right backdrop for a guy hiking through the Cévennes with a pack animal that clearly had zero interest in cooperating. Ranger was in the backseat, probably judging my audiobook choices as usual.

A Victorian Foot Patrol With Better Scenery

Let me cut to the chase - this isn't action-packed. If you're expecting Stevenson's adventure chops from Treasure Island, recalibrate. This is a man walking. With a donkey. Through peasant villages. For twelve days in 1878.

But here's the thing - Stevenson writes about it like he's filing after-action reports with actual personality. The guy notices everything. The religious tensions still simmering from the Camisard wars (Protestant guerrillas fighting Catholic persecution - the author clearly did his homework on local history). The suspicious innkeepers. The way moonlight hits a mountain ridge when you're sleeping rough in a handmade sleeping sack he basically invented.

And Modestine. That donkey. I've worked with stubborn junior officers who reminded me of her - refusing to move at any reasonable pace, requiring constant motivation, occasionally just stopping dead for no apparent reason. Stevenson's frustration with her is genuinely funny because it's so specific. That kind of sharp observational humor shows up in Things That Matter, where Krauthammer turns everyday frustrations into something worth reading. He tries everything. Switches. Bribes. Guilt. The donkey doesn't care.

Patrick Wallace Behind the Mic

Wallace does solid work here. His narration is clear and warm - he gets Stevenson's dry humor, which is half the appeal. When Stevenson describes his own failures as a traveler (and there are many), Wallace delivers it with just enough self-deprecating tone that you're laughing with the author, not at him.

Now, fair warning - some listeners have noted his French pronunciation isn't perfect, and occasionally words run together. I noticed it a few times during place names, but honestly? Didn't kill the experience for me. I've heard worse from interpreters in actual combat zones. This version also includes music between chapters, which some folks find distracting. I didn't mind it - gave me natural pause points during the drive.

The production includes a fragment called "A Mountain Town in France" that was originally meant to open the book. Nice bonus. Adds context about the region before Stevenson starts his trek.

Where It Dragged (And Where It Didn't)

I won't lie - there are sections that move slow. Stevenson spends a lot of time on landscape descriptions and religious history. If you're not interested in 17th-century Protestant resistance movements in rural France, some of this will feel like a briefing that runs too long.

But the character moments land. The interactions with locals - peasants who think he's crazy, monks who feed him, a woman who sells him wine - these are the good parts. Stevenson had a sharp eye for people. And his reflections on solitude, on walking alone through unfamiliar territory, on the strange peace that comes from being completely self-reliant... that hit different for me. Killing Kennedy captured that same sense of isolation in its portrayal of JFK's final days—different kind of solitude, but equally well-observed. I've had those moments. Different circumstances, obviously. But the feeling of being utterly alone in hostile terrain with only your own thoughts? He captures it.

One listener called this a "great sleep aid" and meant it as a compliment. I get it. The pacing is gentle. Wallace's delivery is soothing. At 1.25x speed, it moved well for me, but if you're tired, this could knock you out.

SITREP

This is a niche recommendation. If you love classic travel writing - the kind where someone actually walks somewhere instead of just Instagramming it - this delivers. If you appreciate dry Victorian humor and don't need explosions every chapter, you'll find plenty to enjoy.

Skip it if you need fast pacing or drama. This is a slow patrol through beautiful country with occasional donkey problems. That's the mission.

Ranger slept through most of it, but he perked up during the Modestine scenes. I think he recognized the frustration of dealing with an uncooperative animal. Mission accomplished - for the right listener.